Temperature variations can affect the volume of a given mass of fuel due to the fuel expanding or contracting with varying temperature. Typically, as fuels are dispensed, the dispensed fuel is measured in gallons (by volume), and the weight of the dispensed fuel often is not known accurately. In aviation refueling, this can present a serious safety issue, inasmuch as it is critically important that the pilot have accurate information about the weight of the fuel that has been loaded onto the plane. Moreover, inaccurate fueling information can lead to the provider or the recipient being short-changed.
Accordingly, a need exists for a fueling technology to compensate for variations in fuel temperature.